Subjugated
by Kelly of the midnight dawn
Summary: EO An overseas trip to catch a perp turns deadly and Captain Cragen calls on the help of one of his oldest friends to help. Nothing and everything goes.
1. Chapter 1: Prisoner

**Subjugated**

**Chapter 1: Prisoner**

**Disclaimer: I don't own either SVU or JAG. I am no where near that lucky.**

**A/N: I thought I'd try my hand at this particular crossover. I hope it is worth reading. I know I have a lot of stories but something like this just begs to be written. Also this story is kind of AU because Admiral Chegwidden is my head of JAG so that's who I used.**

**A/N: I'd like to thank Kay for all the help with the Italian and the time zone thing and for being a good sport about the whole tricking her into reading a JAG crossover thing. I love you kiddo.**

The small seemingly unthreatening man paced around the chair in the middle of the dark room where his prisoner sat in chains. He was taking his time, a trained hunter observing his prey. He knew the questions he was going to ask and what the penalty would be for the wrong answer. He had known every card he would play before he even entered the room. He watched the man in the chair. He was stoic, staring straight ahead, unflinching as his captor circled him. They were always like this at first. They were strong but he knew how to make them break and they all broke. This man too would break. The short man took a seat across from the chair and spoke "What is your name?" The question was unnecessary. Intelligence already knew that much.

The prisoner was quiet; he would not give his captor the pleasure of even one answer from his lips. He closed his eyes only for a moment, attempting to conjure up a happier place for his mind to be while his body was trapped. He opened his eyes again and stared defiantly at the short man.

"It's not a hard question," the man spoke sweetly, trying to lull his captive into a false sense of security before he ripped the rug out from underneath him "What is your name?"

The question was met with silence once again. He wouldn't say a word. All that crap about name, rank and social security number was just that, crap. He wouldn't even give them that much. It was safer for her. If they didn't know who he was, they wouldn't be able to find her.

"You don't want to answer me do you?" the short man rose and moved towards the chair "That's okay," he smirked sadistically as he leaned over the man and pulled his head back. He made direct eye contact with the captive, daring him to doubt that he was telling the truth "We know who you are."

At this the prisoner flinched visibly. They knew his name, what else did they know? Did they… he hoped they didn't. He would die first.

The short man smiled widely and returned to his chair. He picked up a folder from the table that sat between the two chairs and flipped it open "Yes," he drawled "There are many things we know about you," he trailed off and pretended to concentrate on what it said, even though he had already memorized the information. He pulled out a picture and set it on the table so that it faced the prisoner "One thing we aren't sure of," he began as he tapped the picture with his finger "Is who she is."

The restrained man tensed significantly. He recognized the picture or rather he recognized the setting. The picture must have been taken as soon as they came into port. He was walking side by side with her, perhaps a little closer than would be socially acceptable given their relationship. His protective stance beside her was unmistakable and even a novice at reading human behavior could catch the way he was watching her out of the corner of his eye. He felt ill and fought to breathe normally. Had they captured her too or was she still out there, unaware that she was being watched.

He was sure that she knew by this point that he was missing. Whether she knew that he had been abducted, he couldn't be positive. He still said nothing however although he couldn't help the way he shifted nervously as far as his restraints would let him.

"I see I've hit a nerve," the interrogator leaned forward in his seat "It's obvious that this woman is important to you," he paused watching his detainee squirm before continuing "Just how valuable is her wellbeing to you?"

The prisoner looked at his lap. He couldn't let anything happen to her no matter what "Where is she?" he asked.

The interrogator leaned forward. He had been able to draw the first words from his prey "She's safe for now," he answered "How long she remains that way is up to you," he settled back in his chair "You know you didn't answer my question. How much does her wellbeing mean to you?"

The prisoner looked down again. He couldn't risk her safety. In a voice almost to quiet to hear, he let one word escape his lips "Everything."

"What was that?" the interrogator asked, grinning "I didn't hear you."

"Everything," he repeated, looking the interrogator in the eye.

"Good," the interrogator brought his hands together and flexed his fingers "Now let's try this again. What is your name?"

"I thought you knew my name," the prisoner responded, confused.

"Answer the question!" the interrogator demanded, pulling yet another picture from the folder and holding it in both hands "Or else," he ripped the picture in half.

The prisoner saw the picture. It was of her but it had been taken far more recently than just two days ago when they had come into port. She was in her hotel room, sitting on the bed with her knees hugged to her chest. She seemed to be sobbing, unaware that someone from outside had snapped a picture of her through the window. He got the meaning behind the interrogator's gesture immediately and he felt his heart jump into his throat as he answered "Elliot Stabler."

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She sat on the bed, curled into a ball, crying her eyes out. The last time she had looked at her watch it had been twelve hours since she had walked into his hotel room and found it empty. There had been blood spray on the wall opposite the bed and a lamp on the floor which had obviously been the intruder's method of subduing him.

The Naples police force had told her to sit in her hotel room and wait. While she may have been a detective with the NYPD, they didn't want her to interfere with their investigation. She didn't want to start an international turf war so she sat and waited for any news. She had called the captain and told him that there was no way that she was coming back without Elliot. He had agreed even though the case load back in Manhattan had grown exponentially in their absence.

She and Elliot had come to Naples on the trail of a suspect in three rather brutal homicides in Manhattan. The Naples police had enough trouble with their presence without having to go looking for one of them. Their perp was easy enough to catch but unfortunately he had already murdered to people in Naples and the courts of Italy got to dig their claws into him first.

She didn't care anymore about whether the bastard was tried in Italy or New York. Elliot had been kidnapped and there was no obvious motive. That weighed heavier on her mind than any jurisdiction battle that was best left to the attorney's anyway.

He could be hurt or worse. Why would someone take him? Their perp was already in custody so she had no idea where to even begin looking for suspects. She hoped that where ever he was he was alright but she wasn't so sure. There had been a lot of blood and he was most likely in need of medical attention.

Her phone rang, shaking her from her thoughts. She struggled to get control of her emotions. She cleared her throat and reached for the phone "Benson," she answered in a voice that still sounded like she had been crying.

"Detective Benson," she instantly recognized the voice of Inspector Eminenza. The man spoke perfect English but his accent was heavy. She had to admit she liked the way his voice sounded.

"Yes Inspector, did you find anything?" she felt a ray of hope for the first time since she had walked into that empty room.

"We don't have the DNA results back from Detective Stabler's room yet," the Inspector began "but we did find two different blood types."

She felt slightly better at hearing this news. It wouldn't lead them directly to Elliot but it meant that he might not have lost as much blood as she had originally thought "Not all the blood was his," she breathed.

"No," Eminenza agreed with her "There is something else," he continued.

"Yes?" she inquired.

"One of the hotel employees was able to give us a description of two men who left the hotel last night around the time we think that Detective Stabler was taken. He says he saw them put a large bundle into the back of their car and drive off."

She could swear her heart stopped. Could the employee have confused an unconscious man for a bundle? "Did the employee give you a description of the car?" she asked.

"Yes Detective," he answered, sounding slightly frustrated with her. His tone conveyed the deeper meaning clearly 'I know how to do my job'.

"Grazie," she told the inspector as she laid her head on the pillow. It didn't seem like they were getting anywhere and while the Naples police were twittling their thumbs, who knew what could be happening to her Elliot. Had she just thought of him as hers?

"You are welcome detective," the Inspector replied "I'll call you if there are any further developments."

Olivia nodded, not caring that the inspector couldn't see her "Okay bye," she hung up, not giving the Inspector time to say anything else.

She stared at the ceiling of her hotel room. Where was he? Was he even still alive? She was so worried about him. He was her best friend. She had always counted on him to be there for her and she had tried to be there for him even when he pushed her away but when he had needed her most she hadn't been there. Her room was right next to his so why hadn't she heard anything? A struggle should have made enough noise to send her rushing into his room with her gun drawn. How could she have let him down like this?

When she closed her eyes she could see the men breaking into Elliot's room and ambushing him in his sleep. The images her imagination conjured up frightened her as she watched the faceless assailants beat him with the lamp and their fist as they kicked him. She could hear him in her mind calling out for help. She knew he would call for her, even if he couldn't put her in harm's way ever he would have called out to her because she would have come. Or at least she hoped he would call out to her. She should have heard him if he called for her.

She needed to get out there and look for him. No matter what the Naples police said, she needed to find him. He was her partner and she needed to find him. She'd let him down. She owed him. She needed him, she needed to know that he was all right.

A noise from the window caught her attention and she sprang from the bed, grabbing her gun as she did so. She made her way to the window and looked out. She thought she saw a figure dressed in black sliding down the drain pipe but the figure was at the bottom of the pipe already and ran off quickly into the darkness.

She was about to turn away when she saw something on the ledge. She slid open the window easily and was about to reach for the object when she remembered that it was evidence. She walked over to her bag and rummaged through it until she found a pair of latex gloves. She slipped them on and returned to the window.

The ledge outside the window was at least three feet wide; Wide enough for man to kneel on. She looked for the thing that had caught her eye before. She picked it up and examined it carefully. It was a key. She wondered what it opened and was just about to call the Inspector back when she realized that this most likely had nothing to do with Elliot's case and she was just going to end up wasting important time.

She dropped the key in her pocket and closed the window. She would worry about it later, after they found Elliot. The key probably belonged to some creepy neighborhood Peeping Tom anyway. She grabbed her jacket and headed downstairs.

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The short man stepped out of the cell and stretched. He had enjoyed inflicting psychological torture on Elliot. He walked to the nearby couch and lay down. He was exhausted.

A man in a black hooded sweat shirt walked up to him "The little old Marine to much for you Giovanni?" he asked teasingly as he reached into the fridge that sat across from the couch and pulled out a beer.

"No," Giovanni protested "I'm just tired. It happens to people you know."

The man in black nudged Giovanni's feet until they fell off the couch giving him room to sit down. He popped open his beer "Well I will admit, I do have the better assignment."

Giovanni nodded in agreement as he rose to get his own beer "I hope you are managing to be dicrete," he told his friend.

"No problem," the man in black finished his beer and tossed the can in the trash. It bounced of the side and landed amidst other garbage that neither had bothered to pick up "You know," the man continued "This set up sucks."

Giovanni grew serious "Once we get the information out of our Marine in there, we can move out of this crappy warehouse," he too finished his beer and tossed the can at his friend "God knows I'll be glad to not have you as a roommate anymore Alexander."

Alexander stood up and tossed the can back at Giovanni, hitting him in the head "I feel the same way about you my friend," he walked to the door leading outside.

"Hey where are you going?" Giovanni called out after his friend.

"You just reminded me how much I want to get the information from that dumb ass in there," Alexander called back "I'm gonna go dig up those electrodes from the storage locker," he felt around in his pockets for a moment "Damn it."

"What's wrong?" Giovanni asked, not really caring.

"I lost the damn key," Alexander cursed.

"It's not all that important, we can just bust the thing open," Giovanni suggested.

Alexander continued to look vexed "I think I might have lost it on that window ledge."

Giovanni's mood changed to one of almost anger "You'd better go find it before someone else does then," he spat, pushing his friend out the door. The key could be traced to the warehouse and anyone who came to the warehouse would find them.

"I don't know why I'm so worried," Alexander muttered to himself. "It's not like that stupid bitch will put it together anyway."

"We can't take that chance," Giovanni reminded him.

Alexander nodded and left.

Giovanni turned back towards the cell at the back of the warehouse. Now would be as good a time as any to get the information out of that Marine.

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Olivia was having no luck on the streets. She was armed with a photo in one hand and "Italian for beginners" in the other. She was quickly realizing that being able to ask "Avete visto questo uomo?" if you didn't understand the lightning fast responses that people gave and she hadn't yet run into anyone who spoke English.

"Desiderate alcuna di questa cagna," a large man leaning against a building called out to her. She wasn't sure what he was saying but when she noticed that he was grabbing his crotch she quickly turned the nearest corner. When she reached a store front about two blocks away she flipped through the book out of curiosity to find out what he had said. She read in the limited light provided by the nearby street lamp and it took her a while to find all the words. When she put them together she wanted to throw up.

This wasn't doing her any good and she knew it. She turned back in the direction of her hotel. Maybe while she was out the Inspector had called with new information. She still showed the picture of Elliot to anyone who would stop for more than two seconds; she might not have been able to understand their responses but facial expressions were universal. No one appeared to recognize him what so ever.

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Alexander shimmied up the drain pipe and onto the ledge. He searched for the key but couldn't find it. At that point he noticed that the dust that had been collecting on the inner sill of the window had been brushed away. He realized that that woman must have opened the window and retrieved the key. He didn't see her in the room and hoped that she didn't have it with her as he slid the window open and climbed inside.

He saw her bag on the floor at the foot of the bed and moved towards it. Carefully, so as not to make it look as though someone had been there, he felt around in the bag for anything that would be the key. He found nothing. He did however decide to take one of her bras with him just because.

He and Giovanni had both agreed that they wouldn't have her yet and if things with the Marine went south they wouldn't have her at all but he could at least have a memento to remember her by.

He heard the sound of an electronic key card sliding into the lock of the door and quickly sprinted for the window. He made it out and closed the window behind him just before Olivia entered the room. He hid in the shadows and watched her carefully. It was then that he noticed that he had dropped the bra in his effort to sneak out unnoticed.

Olivia cursed the person who invented electronic key cards. She decided that they had a special place in hell somewhere between defense attorneys and TV evangelists. She sighed with relief when the door finally opened. Once inside she went to the phone to check to see if she had missed any messages, she hadn't.

She collapsed on the bed near tears. She'd tried to find him but she knew she could have done more. If only the stupid Inspector would let her help in the investigation. She could at least use the help of an interpreter. She flopped back onto the pillow and let the pent up fear and frustration escape her. She had been crying all of five minutes when the phone rang.

Once again she was forced to pretend that she hadn't just been crying as she reached for the receiver "Benson," she tried to speak normally but the emotion was evident.

"Olivia it's Don," whenever he introduced himself to her that way she knew that the call was gonna be personal not business. He was calling to check up on her, make sure she was okay. She knew that the Inspector's office was going to call him personally if there was any news about Elliot so his only reason for calling was to check up on her. She thanked him and cursed him loved him and hated him all at the same time.

"Yeah Cap," she refused to be personal. She had to keep her distance or she wouldn't be able to hold it together.

"How's the investigation going?" he asked, knowing full well that she had been shut out by the Inspector and his men but also knowing that she wouldn't give up and would be walking the streets at midnight if she had to, looking for Elliot.

"Umm… a hotel employee saw two men around the time Elliot was taken and he was able to give a description of their car," she provided facts that she knew that he was aware of. She would babble on and on as long as he didn't ask her the inevitable question.

The question came "How are you doing?" his voice turned to that of concerned parent instantly.

She was silent for a moment. She knew that if she started talking, she would break. She chose her words carefully and spoke quietly in an effort to stave off the inevitable collapse; maybe she could hold it together until the call ended "It's not easy," she said simply.

He heard her words but more importantly he heard her tone "They're gonna find him," he reassured her "These people didn't just find their badges in a cereal box."

She chuckled half heartedly but it soon turned into a sniffle "I wish I had… I didn't hear him…"

He wished he was there to pull her into a hug; she sounded like she needed it "Olivia, this isn't your fault," he said firmly.

"Thanks," she wished she could believe what he was telling her.

Cragen caught the exhaustion in her voice. He knew what kind of person she was; she most likely hadn't had anything to eat or drink since she had discovered that Elliot was gone "Did you eat today?" he asked, knowing the answer but wanting her to confirm it.

"No time," that was true. Between the crying, the trying to be included in the investigation and the constant worrying she hadn't had time to eat. It was more like she had totally forgotten and didn't care.

"Go get something to eat," he told her gently but firmly "No one ever helped anyone by dying of starvation or dehydration."

She glanced at her watch "It's 1:00AM; all the stores and stuff are probably already closed.

"What about room service?" Cragen asked. He knew he couldn't make sure that she was emotionally fine but he could at least get her to take care of herself physically.

"They stop at 11:00PM," she informed him. Then her gaze fell on a basket of crackers that was sitting on the desk. It had been there since she'd gotten to the hotel, she just hadn't given any thought to it until now "I've got crackers," she tried to sound triumphant as she crinkled the plastic wrapper near the phone so that Cragen could hear.

"That's good," Cragen listened to the sound of her munching crackers while he spoke to her. He wished that the crime rate in New York didn't prevent him from sending Munch and Fin to Naples, hell he wished he could go himself. This whole situation was killing all of them but it seemed to be taking its toll hardest on Olivia. He breathed a heavy sigh "I have to get back to work," he said regretfully "Try and get some sleep."

She sighed in response "Okay," she answered, not really sure all that she would be able to sleep. Not tonight, not ever again until they found Elliot.

"Bye Olivia," Cragen said kindly.

"Bye," she responded in a small voice as she gently laid the receiver back in the cradle.

Olivia rose from the bed and moved to get her night clothes from her bag when she stopped. One of her bras was on the floor. She was almost positive that she had made sure all her clothes were packed away neatly. Even the dirty ones were in a laundry bag that she had shoved inside her duffle bag. She picked up the bra and deciding that it got where it was by accident put it in the dirty clothes bag.

She retrieved a pair of sweats and a tank top from her bag as well as a clean pair of panties and went into the bathroom to change.

Outside, Alexander was very disappointed when he saw the bathroom door close behind her retreating form. He was also wondering what his next move should be. He had heard Olivia's side of the conversation and knew that the police new what he and Giovanni looked like. The Marine had become a liability. Then there was the fact that this woman most likely still had the key. She was a liability too.

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"Are you now or have you ever been a Marine Core sniper?" Giovanni asked as he once again paced around the chair where Elliot was restrained.

"I was," Elliot answered simply.

"Liar!" Giovanni accused and brought his hand hard across the back of Elliot's head.

Elliot winced at the pain that seared through his skull but quickly recovered "I'm not lying," he spoke up only to be slapped again "You claim to know so much about me? My service record in the Marines shows that I was discharged."

Giovanni took his seat once more and flipped through the papers in his folder "Well Mr. Stabler," he began as he pulled a piece of paper close enough to Elliot's face that he could read it "Must be the wrong Elliot Stabler who enlisted in the Marines in 1982 because the Elliot Stabler I'm looking for was never discharged."

Elliot stared at the paper in disbelief. Someone must have made a mistake. There was no other way to explain it. He had received his discharge papers. This was a mistake.

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Olivia finished changing and made her way back into the room. She fairly collapsed on the bed and pulled the covers tight around her. She tossed and turned, to consumed with worry to let sleep take its hold but after about an hour, exhaustion caught up with her and she drifted, reluctantly into a sleep filled with nightmares.

Alexander watched her motions slow as she drifted into unconsciousness. He wondered if she was a sound or light sleeper. He could be quite sneaky if possible but if she woke up… He put those thoughts out of his head and carefully slid the window open once more.

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It was 8:30PM; it had been an hour and a half since he had spoken to her. He knew she wasn't doing all right at all and it tore him up inside and then there was Elliot. By Morning Elliot would have been missing officially for twenty four hours. For all he had done to try and reassure Olivia, he didn't have the utmost confidence in the Naples police to find Elliot either.

Cragen wished that he could spare Munch and Fin but he just couldn't. It seemed that without Olivia and Elliot's presence, the criminals decided that it was open season. There was no sparing an SVU detective from any unit in any burrow.

Suddenly an idea dawned on him and he reached for his phone, dialing an old familiar number. He couldn't spare any of his people but maybe, just maybe…

"Chegwidden," the other man's voice was clear and oddly chipper.

Cragen smiled at the sound of his old friend's voice but now was not the time for reminiscing. He jumped right into his reason for calling "A. J. its Don. I need your help."

**TBC**

**A/N: So that is chapter 1. I hope you all like it. What Olivia is saying on the street is "Have you seen this man?" and as for what the man said to her… I don't really want to repeat it. Use your imaginations. Please review and let me know if I should continue. I know I left at least one evil cliff hanger in there.**


	2. Chapter 2: Doubt In All Forms

**Subjugated **

**Chapter 2: Doubt In All Forms**

Alexander dropped softly onto the floor of Olivia's room. He had seen her place the key on her bedside table before she went to bed; he knew he had to get that key back. In the dark his hand groped along the wall until he found the nightstand. Carefully he ran his fingers over every object that was there. His fingers found first the phone then a notepad and pen close beside it. He felt along a smooth metal object that he couldn't identify at first but soon the answer came to him, it was a gun.

For a moment he considered using it to force the woman who lay just inches from where he stood to get up and come with him. He thought better of it however, he couldn't force her to go down the drainpipe; he'd have to use both hands and wouldn't be able to hold a gun on her. And just walking out the front door of the hotel was absolutely out of the question. He didn't want to risk being spotted by the hotel employee that the woman had spoken of on the phone.

His fingers closed around the key and he quickly pocketed it. He was turning to leave when the woman in the bed began to stir. He reached for the gun. If she woke up he would have to eliminate her. He couldn't risk leaving a witness. But there was nothing that said he couldn't have his way with her first. He watched mesmerized as she moved in her sleep.

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"Leave him alone!" she cried out. She stood in a dark room, watching as a shadowy figure advanced towards Elliot. Clearly visible in one of the figure's hands was a knife.

The figure turned towards Olivia. It wore a large hood that obscured most of its face but still a large sinister grin could be seen. It turned back to Elliot and put the knife to his throat.

"Olivia, run," he said in a voice that tried to sound calm.

"I can't," she whispered as tears poured down her cheeks. She attempted to lock eyes with the figure "Please no," she begged the unknown apparition.

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Alexander's cell phone began to vibrate. Instinctively he crept back out the window for privacy to answer his call, leaving the gun where it had been lying. He took one last glance at the bed which was illuminated by soft moon light. He would get her alone again one day. He slid the window closed and flipped his phone open "Yeah?"

"Did you get the key?" Giovanni's voice sounded raspy over the phone.

"Yeah," Alexander answered. Giovanni had some timing that was for sure. If it hadn't have been for the phone Alexander was pretty sure that he would be having the best sex of his life at that moment.

"I want you to get back here," Giovanni told his friend.

"Why?" Alexander asked mockingly "I thought big bad Giovanni had everything under control."

"I do," Giovanni spat "Just get back here," he knew that Alexander thought more often with one head than the other and he knew that it wasn't time yet for such things. The time would come. Yes the time would most definitely come but not now, not yet.

"All right," Alexander begrudgingly ground out "See ya," he scooted to the drainpipe as he flipped his phone closed and slid it into his pocket. As he swung himself off the ledge, his cell phone flew out of his pocket and landed on the spot where Alexander had been before. He felt his phone leave his pocket and reached for it at the same time that he was holding onto the drainpipe. His hand slipped and Alexander hit the pavement head first with a sickening thud.

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"Don't," Olivia repeated but the figure wasn't listening to her. It drew the knife across Elliot's throat in a slow, deliberate motion that was intended to inflict as much pain as possible "No!" Olivia screamed as the blood poured from the cut. She ran towards Elliot but the figure stopped her "No! No! Let me go!" she tried to fight it off but it dragged her away.

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She shot straight upright in bed. It had all been a nightmare. She peered fearfully into the dark corners of her room. She got out of bed, flipped on the light and picked up her gun. She patrolled the room, looking for anything out of place. Everything seemed to be fine until she noticed it. It wasn't the presence of something; it was the absence of something. She probably wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been on high alert at that moment. The key that she had put on the bedside table was gone. To most people this wouldn't be anything to be concerned about but Olivia remembered putting it there. At first she thought that perhaps it had fallen when she grabbed her gun but after thoroughly checking the floor around the table she still hadn't found it.

This made her nervous and she moved to the window. It was unlocked; being as high up as it was, she didn't think that it was necessary to lock it. She cursed herself for not thinking about locking it when she had first found the key. She slid the window open and crawled out onto the ledge. The light that came from inside her room as well as the light from a single street lamp below provided enough illumination that she could see something near the drainpipe. She reached for it, not wanting to go back inside for gloves and found that it was a cell phone.

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"What are you talking about?" Chegwidden asked Cragen. He would like nothing more than to help his friend but this just didn't sound like something that JAG usually handled.

"One of my best detectives was kidnapped in Naples," Cragen repeated "I don't trust the police there to handle it and they won't allow my other detective who is there to assist in the investigation. I would send my own people but we are just swamped with work here."

"Don, I'd love to help you but JAG lawyers aren't vigilantes. Besides this doesn't sound like a Naval matter," truthfully Chegwidden felt for his friend and wanted nothing more than to be able to help the missing detective.

"AJ I have no idea what to do," Cragen's voice cracked "These people they're like family, you know."

Chegwidden knew exactly what Cragen was talking about. His people were like family to him too and he would do anything for them if he could. And if he couldn't do anything himself, he would do exactly what Cragen was doing now, ask for help. Chegwidden knew just how much it had taken for Don Cragen to be able to come to him; they were both very proud men who found it difficult to come to anyone. The burden of command was heavy indeed "I'll see what I can do," he told his friend.

"Thanks AJ," Cragen said gratefully "I owe you."

"Don't worry about it," Chegwidden was still worried that he might not be able to do anything "Bye Don. I'll call you back in a few hours."

"Thanks again AJ," Cragen couldn't find words to express how grateful he felt "Bye," he hung up the phone and turned back to the mountains of paperwork that sat on his desk. He looked through the open office door into the squad room. It was empty; Munch and Fin were out chasing down leads. His eyes fell on Elliot and Olivia's conjoined desks; his mind wandered and he could almost see Olivia smiling up as Elliot appeared at her side with a fresh cup of coffee. He sighed and turned back to his paperwork.

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Chegwidden picked up his phone once more and dialed Commander Rabb's home number. If anyone could get this mission accomplished Rabb could.

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Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. sat next to his partner Colonel Sarah MacKenzie on the couch in his apartment. They had been silent for some time now. They sat simply enjoying each other's company.

Mac shifted positions on the couch so that she was leaning against Harm's shoulder. She sighed contentedly "This is nice," she mumbled dreamily.

Harm wrapped an arm around her and smiled, silently agreeing with her as he dropped a kiss to the top of her head. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, letting the peace of the moment wash over him when the shrill ringing of the phone pierced the quiet atmosphere. He nudged Mac gently because she was closer to the phone. She grumbled and stretched before reaching for the cordless phone and handing it to him. He pushed the button on the phone "Yeah," he answered a bit irritated.

"Harm," Chegwidden's voice came over the receiver causing Harm's attitude to change instantly "You and your partner get over to my place as soon as you can."

"Admiral," Harm began "With all do respect, its 10:00 at night."

"I am aware of the time Commander," the admiral told him "I assure you that this is important."

"Yes sir," Harm answered as he stood up and reached for his coat which lay on the back of the couch "We'll be there in ten," he pushed the button to end the call and handed the phone back to Mac so that she could return it to the cradle.

"What was that about?" Mac asked, standing up as well.

"I'm not sure," Harm pondered "He sounded pretty urgent. I guess we'll find out."

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"Elliot Stabler," Chegwidden said as he placed a folder on the coffee table in front of him. He pointed to the folder "I was able to dig up his Marine service record."

Mac reached for the file and flipped it open. She scanned the information and the woefully out of date photo "Sir this information hasn't been updated since 1984."

Chegwidden nodded "It's the best I could do on such short notice. If I manage to get my hands on his NYPD records I'll fax them to you in Naples."

"Naples," Harm and Mac exclaimed simultaneously, exchanging puzzled looks with each other before turning their attention back to the admiral.

Chegwidden coughed, realizing that he had gotten ahead of himself "Detective Stabler," he made sure to use the man's current title "Has gone missing while working a case with his partner for the Manhattan special victims unit. He and his partner Olivia Benson were in Naples, trailing a suspect in a string of homicides when he went missing. The evidence suggests that he was kidnapped"

"How is this a JAG investigation sir?" Harm asked.

Chegwidden paused, trying to find a way to tell these two that he was sending them on a personal favor and not an official investigation. He took a deep breath "Detective Stabler's commanding officer, Captain Donald Cragen, is an old friend of mine and," he made sure to stress this next part "After much deliberation I decided to help him out," he gauged Harm and Mac's reactions to what he had just said. Mac looked surprised and he thought perhaps a little standoffish. Harm on the other hand looked more than ready to jump on the next flight to Naples. He continued "You will fly to Naples tonight, the police there are expecting you. It was easy to convince them that this fell under our jurisdiction."

Mac had continued to flip through the file in an effort to learn more about this man. She looked up suddenly "I think it does fall under our jurisdiction," she said, removing a piece of paper from the file "It seems that Corporal Stabler," she referred to the paper once more to check her facts "Was called to service in late 2004," she looked up again "He never showed, our missing detective has been AWOL for two years."

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Olivia sat bolt upright on the bed, her back against the wall, her shoulders squared as she stared at the now locked window. The lamp beside the bed brightened the room but did little to cheer her mood or alleviate her fear. Her gun was poised to fire at anyone or anything that moved. She had no doubt in her mind that the key had something to do with Elliot's disappearance but now that it was gone, she had nothing to go to the police with.

She had the cell phone of course but she had already looked through it. The guy had been smart and had made it so that no one could access it without a code. If she took that to the police she was sure she would be perceived as even more of the foreign interloper than she was positive that they already saw her as.

She was so on edge that a scratching sound in the corner of the room caused her to react instantly. Perhaps she… over reacted she would later think. She took aim at the source of the noise and fired. Seconds later she saw a very frightened mouse rush out from the baseboard, leaving behind a trail of urine.

She breathed deeply, trying to calm her nerves. This was no good. She couldn't be so trigger happy. She had to calm down. If she didn't, she could very well shoot at the phone if it rang or even worse, shoot the house keeping people when they came to the door. She took another deep breath and set her gun on the bedside table again. She could easily grab it if someone entered the room.

The phone rang and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Her hand was reaching for the gun when she stopped herself 'It's just the phone," she told herself as she picked up the receiver "Benson," her voice was shaky but strong.

"Olivia," it was Cragen and upon hearing the way she answered the phone, his voice had gone instantly to one of total concern "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah," she answered as her voice slowly regained its composure. Somehow it was comforting to her to hear a familiar voice. She took yet another deep breath as she felt a little more of the fear dissipate "What's up Cap?"

"I just wanted to let you know that you're gonna be getting some company," he began in vague terms.

Olivia tensed instantly "What kind of company?" she asked, her voice picking up just a bit of the shakiness that it had before.

"Lawyers," Cragen began "Two JAG lawyers."

Olivia relaxed but her confusion only grew. What business did JAG lawyers have with this matter? "Cap," she began slowly "I'm gonna need the long version here because I am just totally lost."

Cragen chuckled and then remembering what time it was in Naples "I'm sorry Olivia. Did I wake you up?"

Olivia paused "No," she dismissed his question quickly before attacking the previous topic "Why are JAG lawyers coming here?"

"I…" Cragen paused "Called in a favor."

"From who?" Olivia asked, interested.

"The Judge Advocate General," Cragen admitted sheepishly.

Olivia couldn't help being impressed. She had known that Cragen had friends in high places but it never ceased to amaze her, the things he could get done by 'calling in a favor' "When are they getting here?" she asked.

"Noon your time," he told her "They're expecting you to meet them at the airport."

"I'm supposed to play chaperon to two lawyers while my partner," she began to lose it again "Is God knows where and…" she trailed off, not wanting to think of what his abductors could be doing to him if he was even still alive. She hated to think of the possibility that he might be dead but it kept sneaking into her conscious mind anyway.

"Olivia," Cragen attempted to soothe her with his gentle tone "They're coming to help."

"Help!" she was indignant all of a sudden "How can they help!"

"Olivia," Cragen tried to break in to explain but she kept talking, her voice growing louder.

"No one is telling me anything!" she began to pace the room "I'm feeling like a child! I'm cooped up in this hotel room with nothing to do except obsess about my kidnapped partner who might be dead at this moment and how its all my fault!"

"Olivia," Cragen tried to break in again and still Olivia refused to cease her tirade.

"And on top of all that!" her tone became sarcastic "Some creep snuck into my room when I was asleep!" she stopped. She hadn't wanted to let that slip; she didn't want to make anyone worry about her when they didn't need to.

Cragen finally had a window of opportunity to speak and he took it "Olivia," he began, glad when she didn't try to cut him off again with another guilt ridden and frustrated speech. He was about to explain more about how the JAG lawyers would be able to be more involved in the investigation under the guise of a military matter when suddenly it hit him "Did you just say…" he trailed off having been stunned into silence. Finally he managed to get the rest of the sentence out "Someone snuck into your room?"

She nodded even though she knew Cragen couldn't see her "I didn't lock the window," she admitted "I was a damn idiot."

"Are you all right?" Cragen asked, ignoring the fact that he had asked that question several times already over the span of several different phone calls and he had always and probably would continue to get the same formulaic answer.

"I'm fine," she almost spat at him. Then her anger dissipated and she sank onto the bed "So I'm supposed to pick these people up at noon?"

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"This doesn't make any sense," Mac rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as she set the file down in her lap. She had gone over Elliot's records again and again. She could probably recite the whole thing from rote by that point.

"It's a long flight Mac," Harm handed her a blanket and a pillow "Try and get some sleep will ya?"

She looked at him straight on "I just can't figure this out," she told him "Someone must have screwed up."

"Yeah," Harm said grumpily as he settled into his chair "He did. Look Mac, he was a kid when he joined. He had a wife and kid. He decided to leave. No one noticed it until two years ago."

"You must be really tired," she noted.

"That's right," he responded "I'm really tired and I'm waiting for you to turn off the damn reading light so I can get some sleep."

She chuckled and reached up to turn the light off "Good night," she whispered as she took the blanket and pillow that he was still holding out to her. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the lips before settling in and laying her head on his shoulder. They lay in silence for a while before she spoke again "When does that ever happen?"

"Mac," Harm groaned.

She sat up and flipped on the light again "I mean have you ever heard of someone not being missed for twenty years?"

"No," he answered, throwing an arm over his eyes to shield him from the lights. For a moment he thought about asking the stewardess for earplugs.

Mac thought of something "Remember? We had a bunch of cases a couple of years ago that had to do with those Marines that thought they had been discharged but they'd been called back to active duty."

"Yes, I remember," Harm said "Now can we please go to sleep?"

"What if he was one of those?" Mac hypothesized. She reached up and turned off the light again "Good night," she kissed him again.

This time it was Harm who sat up a few minutes later and turned on the light "If that was the case," he began, picking up the conversation in the exact place that it had been left off "He should have come to us. He didn't. Therefore he's been AWOL for two years," he turned off the light again "Good night."

"Good night," Mac returned and they both drifted off to sleep.

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Elliot's throat was impossibly dry and his bladder was impossibly full. It was an incredibly painful combination. He hadn't had anything to eat or drink in what had to be almost a whole day although he couldn't be sure. The room where he was being held had a very small window high up in the back wall and he could see the very earliest rays of the sun starting to make there way through.

His captor came in occasionally to ask him sometimes meaningless questions such as if he killed anyone while he was in the Marines. The answer had been no. Elliot had been one of those who hadn't seen combat. Sometimes the questions he was asked had to do with the security at Marine and Naval bases in the area. These things Elliot didn't have a clue about but that answer hadn't sufficed for the man. He had beaten Elliot, threatened him, threatened Olivia by name, he had even described in great detail how he would slowly murder each one of Elliot's children. When Elliot wasn't feeling compelled to throw up from the pain and the revulsion, he was praying for death because of the pain.

He only hoped that Olivia would leave the country before this jackass and whatever cohorts he had decided that they needed to follow through on some of their threats. He wanted her to be safe. He knew that she would never leave it up to the police in Naples to find him and he cursed that determination and stubbornness of hers. He cursed it but at the same time he loved it. Still she would be a lot safer if she left the country.

He heard the door creaking open; he had come to hate that sound. Classical conditioning, that sound was followed always by pain of either a physical or psychological nature, therefore the sound of the door opening alone was enough to cause him pain. He saw the man approach and clenched his jaw. If he ever got out of there, he was going to hurt that man he might even kill him.

The man took his now familiar seat across from Elliot and folded his arms across his chest. He opened his mouth, the words that fell from his lips only serving to make Elliot want to wrap his hands around that little neck and squeeze until the demon stopped breathing "How are you feeling?" the tone was condescending, the man was enjoying Elliot's pain.

Elliot hissed a low "Just peachy."

"So glad to hear it," the man smiled. Giovanni took pleasure in making this man suffer but he did wish that he could get the information he needed from him. He hadn't heard from Alexander since he had called him to ask about the key. He would have been worried if he cared but the truth was he really didn't. He was paid to do a job and Alexander had simply been an assistant. If necessary, he could be easily replaced. His attention turned back to Elliot who was studying him interestedly "What are you looking at?"

Elliot had noticed how the man had gone into deep thought "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Giovanni slapped Elliot across the face but compared to some of the blows that Elliot had taken over the last day, this one barely registered "I ask the questions around here," he hissed venomously.

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Olivia checked herself in the mirror one last time as she holstered her gun. She had to keep up the appearance of professionalism even though she didn't feel professional at all anymore. She made her way to the door of the room, pocketing her wallet as she went and headed down to the lobby.

On the elevator ride down she kept repeating in her mind 'Rabb and Mackenzie, Rabb and Mackenzie,' those were the two names that Cragen had given her. One of them was a man and the other was a woman, the problem was, she couldn't remember which was which. At least she wouldn't have to worry about picking them out of the throngs of travelers. That responsibility lay with them. They had a picture of her that Cragen had faxed to them, with her permission of course.

She walked out of the elevator and made her way towards the exit. There were, she noticed, an unusually large number of people just outside the doors to the hotel. As she drew closer she noticed that they were all looking at something. She had a bad feeling that it was some type of crime scene. She suspected that it was probably some sort of car accident of vandalism but when she managed to push her way through the crowd, which she had to do to get to the garage where the rental car was parked, she saw that a group of Naples police officers were trying to get people to back away from what looked like a dead body.

The detective in her wanted to stay and ask questions, to find answers but as she looked at her watch, she knew that she didn't have the time. She hopped in the junky rental car which looked like it had been rescued from a chop shop and prayed that it would get her to the airport without breaking down.

One of the police officers who stood by the body pointed up the drain pipe that ran up the side of the building and to the windows next to it. In Italian he said to his colleagues "I'd like to interview the people who are staying in those rooms."

**TBC**

**A/N: Okay so I'd like to take this time to remind people that this is fiction. I did my research as best I could on the military stuff but if I got things wrong, I'll just chalk them up to 'fictional license' and as for the JAG thing… I'm remembering them the way I want to remember them LOL which means that I kind of chopped canon apart and pieced it together to suit my own needs but like I said, this story is kind of AU. I would greatly appreciate feedback on this chapter.**


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